April Fools' virus on the prowl, could steal data
CHENNAI: On All Fools' Day, don't get fooled into downloading a virus that could potentially hack the entire data in your computer. The April Fools'
virus,' known as Conficker, is believed to be so deadly that Microsoft has gone to the extent of offering $2,50,000 in reward for information that leads to the arrest of the creator of the virus. The virus takes advantage of a vulnerability in Windows operating systems. Microsoft has put up a patch to fix it on its site.
"Do not open any mail that you think could be spam or has catchy subject lines. It could also spread through programmes that you download and also from autoruns.' That could be a potential threat," an internet security consultant said.
Conficker could shut off access to important files on your computer, shut down anti-virus programmes and microsoft security updates, disable various features and drops malware into the system, Amit Nath, Country manager, Trend Micro told The Times Of India. The virus could also set off a wave of spam messages and lead to online scams, feel experts. The creators of the virus have reportedly programmed it in such a way that the virus would report back to them for further instructions on April 1. Global reports indicate that already about 12 million computers have been infected with the virus which first struck in October 2008. The virus that is likely to hit on April 1,2009 is known as Conficker C'.
It has already wreaked havoc across the world affecting computers in the UK Ministry of Defence, computers on the Royal Navy warships, hospitals, 13 schools in England, Houston municipal courts and the Bundeswehr (federal defence force) in Germany, since October. The virus could spread through file sharing mode, USB drives, computers without proper password management and those without latest security updates. Some experts point out that there is a probable threat of many computers already having been infected and could lose their data on April 1. "Users need to have a good security management. Without a good password policy, it becomes easy for the worm to infect the system. Firms and individuals need to have good passwords that includes a combination of alphabets, numerals and symbols," Amit said. Amit points out that for people who use genuine Microsoft products might be able to fix the vulnerability by downloading the patch from Microsoft's site. "But for those, who are using pirated versions, they will have to be extremely careful about the worm," he said.
To be careful, computer users are asked to have a password for their computers, constantly update their softwares, especially their anti-virus softwares. Anti-virus company F-Secure has reported on its site that the hype surrounding the Conficker worm has led to many fake portals coming up with the claim to remove the virus and have asked users to only download virus removal functionality from their respective anti-virus companies.